Post Secret Fridays - Issue 108

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

On Back of Card:  I refuse to become a mindless brain-eater

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Land of the Lost - Issue No. 007: Airport Graveyard

Making this a regular series on my blog has been difficult.  My last post was early last year when we looked at some Yugoslavian Monuments That Look Like They're From The Future. 

For those not familiar with my "Land of the Lost" series, I cover anything from photographers who almost vanished to abandoned cities, highways, and naval ships.

Today's issue is about an airport graveyard located in Russia.

Airport graveyards are few and far between.  Most airplanes are reduced to scrap metal or sold for parts, which is why I found this Russian airport fascinating.

Located in the city of Ussuriysk, you will find the Vozdvizhenka Air Base.  There on the empty tarmacs and hangars you will find military aircraft "carcasses" as described by this Russian website.  

Empty shells of what once was.

Luckily for me there is "Google Translate".  I have included the translated text with the cool photos below.  Check them out.

Metal creaking in the wind and birds singing on tarmac and earth caponiers - is today the once powerful and militant aviagarnizon "Vozdvizhenka". More specifically, the former 444-th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.

History Bomber Regiment began July 5, 1941 on the Big Khabarovsk airport, July 22, he was given the name "444 long-range Bomber Aviation Regiment", and August 15, 1943 the regiment was handed Battle Banner.  Then there was the Great Patriotic War and the war with Japan. Crews Regiment bombers IL-4 clearly performed the task. After the war, some relocated to Korea, which stood until 1948, and then returned to the Maritime forever. In the 1950-1960-s staff mastered the Tu-4, B-25, Tu-16.

In the last type of aircraft, "Exaltation" regiment flew to the end of 1980, not having received the new TU-22, which in 1969 had to replace outdated Tu-16.

Finally, in November 1990, pilots began retraining for Tu-22M3. The first Tu-22M3 overtaken November 19, 1990 The first flight of the Tu-22M3 made February 18, 1991 the crew of Lieutenant Colonel D. Sigarev, majors VG Pukhov, V. Wetzel and GA Koshevarova.

The Tu-22M3 flights to Vozdvizhenka actively continued until 2007, then began to attack a gradual decrease, and finally to "destroy" regiment of the current military reform. Some planes ferried to Siberia, and the remaining in Primorye carefully dismantled. Moreover, any expert it is clear that here the "dismantling" with fighting vehicles took place in polushtatnom mode.

Moreover, any expert it is clear that here the "dismantling" with fighting vehicles took place in polushtatnom mode.From the "carcasses" not only lifted radar, engine, cabin equipment and feed shooting settings, but the entire surface of the fuselage turbine cut square holes, which will not allow the bombers will never ascend to the sky. This is done to reduce the strength of the airframe and planes. Now these machines are completely unfit for combat.

Continue Reading after the jump...

Why Does The Military Love Ron Paul?

Think most military service members are donating to Mitt Romney, New Gingrich, and Rick Santorum?  Think again, they're giving their money to Ron Paul.  And why, you ask?  I imagine service members are tired of fighting endless wars.  Or maybe it has something to do with coming back home to no jobs?  Democrats say cut defense spending, Republicans scream back, "you're a terrorist".  Seriously?

The 2012 presidential race tells a different story: The lion's share of political contributions by servicemembers and defense industry workers is going to anti-war, "soft on Israel," also-ran candidate Ron Paul. In fact, the battle for their dollars isn't even close: Paul has raised at least $282,868 from individual active-duty servicemembers and Pentagon employees—more than four times what the other three Republican presidential candidates have raised, combined. (President Obama has fared slightly better, drawing $123,644 from that group, but still less than half of Paul's total. Full Story Here.

The Honorable Wife or Honorable Soldiers?

The night before the burial of her husband 2nd Lt. James Cathey of the United States Marine Corps, killed in Iraq, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of him, and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it" she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted".

-Not sure what is more honorable: Being married to this faithful wife to the end or the Marine standing next to the casket watching over them both.

IN HONOR OF ALL OUR ARMED FORCES PLEASE SHARE THIS.

Message courtesy of Tumblr

Must Watch: Love Has No Boundaries When It Comes To Our Soldiers

If this video doesn't move you to tears you're not human.  Seriously.  It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, this video shows the true measure of a man.  Compassion, heart, and love for the human soul.  I posted this video on Facebook two years ago, and for the life of me couldn't remember who sang it.  But due to Facebook's new Timeline features, I was able to find it.  And since my blog readers haven't seen it I'm posting it as a treasured memory forever.

Before Don't Ask Don't Tell was abolished a surviving partner may or may not have been notified of the death of their loved one,  may or may not have been allowed to claim the body, attend the military burial and definitely would NOT receive the survivor's benefits.  Furthermore, the surviving partner could lose their home, their property, depending on their state.  The soldier's family could even petition in court for half of all property and holdings. And this is still going on, because DADT only allows you not to lie or keep it a secret that you're gay.

The song titled, "Lover" tells a story very rarely told: of the loss endured by partners of gay servicemembers who are killed in battle.

The video features the artist, Tom Goss as the bereaved partner of an army soldier (Washinton DC actor Ben Horen) killed while on duty in Afghanistan. Among those playing medics who come to the aid of the wounded soldier are several former servicemembers who were discharged under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy: Mike Almy, David Hall, and Danny Hernandez, all of whom are active members of SLDN. Keith Bryant stars as a fellow soldier.

WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 004 - Military Veterans and Families

Today we are going to look at the broad policy of the Obama Administration's achievements concerning Military Veterans and Families. As you all know, when our veterans come back from a tour of duty or war they need a job to come back to.  And more often than naught, they come home to no jobs at all or find that the company they used to work for is no longer around.  

It's a difficult time for our military vets when the job they held in Iraq or Afghanistan is not part of our civilian way of life, and they find themselves having to learn new skills to find a job.  Furthermore, looking for a job is hard in a slowly recovering economy.

So WTF has Obama done?

WTF-8

Initiated a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses.

More than 1,000 franchise businesses have committed to hire 80,000 veterans and their spouses by 2014 -- with 5,000 of those jobs to be directed specifically at wounded vets... 

In brief remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a block away from the White House, Obama also said that 100 companies and organizations that joined the Military Spouse Employment Partnership a year ago have also committed to hiring 20,000 military spouses.  [Reference-1, Reference-2]

WTF-9

Improved benefits for veterans.

Obama noted a proposed 2010 budget which included a 15 percent increase in VA funding, the largest boost in more than 30 years. 

"Finally, this budget recognizes that our veterans deserve something more -- an equal chance to reach for the very dream they defend.  It's the chance America gave to my grandfather, who enlisted after Pearl Harbor and went on to march in Patton's Army.  When he came home, he went to college on the GI Bill, which made it possible for him and so many veterans like him to live out their own version of the American Dream.  And now it's our turn to help guarantee this generation the same opportunity that the greatest generation enjoyed by providing every returning service member with a real chance to afford a college education.  And by providing the resources to effectively implement the Post-9/11 GI Bill, that is what this budget does."  [Reference-1, Reference-2, Reference-3, Reference-4]

WTF-10

Worked to clear the backlog of veterans claims and streamline benefits to those who served.

The goal is to "cut those backlogs, slash those wait times and deliver your benefits sooner," Obama told the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 2009 at their national convention in Phoenix. "America's commitments to its veterans are not just lines in a budget. They are bonds that are sacrosanct, a sacred trust we are honor-bound to uphold. And we will," he said.  

This goal has been hard for Obama to accomplish due to the number of  veterans coming out of Iraq.  It is not going to get any easier when we start pulling troops out of Afghanistan.  But we all know how we ended up in Iraq and Afghanistan don't we?  [Reference-1, Reference-2]

Please make sure to read Issue No. 005 tomorrow as I continue with WTF-11
Everyday on BLADE 7184

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 090

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

 See More Secrets. Follow PostSecret on Twitter.

 Want to see older Post Secret Friday issues? Go here.

Read a special message from Frank Warren of PostSecret.com about him closing down the Post Secret App after the jump.

I Quote That - Love To Kill

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - Issue No. 7

I haven't posted an issue of "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" in over 5 months.  I have so many series on my blog that by the time I get to one I really want to talk about, a new story pops up, or a funny video takes it's place.  

In keeping with current events I felt the best place for this post was in this series, because while the art itself does not consist of words, it does consist of a broader message.  In contrast to my other posts, where the words made the art, in the portrait below, The National Post’s graphics team uses artillery shells to convey it's message.

With the death of Kim Jong-il there is uncertainty about how much support the third generation of the North Korea’s ruling dynasty has among the ruling elite, especially in the military, and worry that successor Kim Jong-un might need a military show of strength to help establish his credentials. The National Post’s graphics team explores the firepower available to the great successor.